Twotoplace

Uh ... the play took place near where I was sitting. I'd also like to see the replay to see if the ref made the call only after glancing down a second time.

I got inside the building at 5:15. Only four ticket windows were operating. C'mon, open them all up starting at 5! Better yet, for a game like this, open up everything 90 mins before, not 60. Also, open up the upper deck right away, not at 5:30.

Not played well?! I've never been at a game (2009 final) with more intensity. Both teams played lights-out D that night. It was like a heavyweight boxing match.

The 2009 final between Holmes and Boone (32-29) is still No. 1 in my book.

The thousands of fans for both teams showed a lot of class tonight. I didn't see any incidents or altercations. The fans deserve a hand as well as the kids, who left nothing on the floor.

CC went to 1-3-1 zone to start 2nd half with Schuh up top. Good strategy or bad? I say bad. Also, I think Ruth or Fred should have attempted more treys in 2nd half. I think that getting Bulldogs in foul trouble early in 2nd half altered CC's offensive game plan.

My buddy and I both opined same at halftime. How Coach L lost his job/retired/quit/was forced out by the alums may have had something to do with getting the T.

Was the Listerman T at the end of half connected to the CC hard-foul game plan?

Re: "REALLY! It's not a gift! It' the rule of the game. No matter of the clock time, the game still has to be called according to the "rules"; if you're doing your job as a ref." Right. Like the hand check "foul" I saw decide an Illinois state championship game -- tie score with 4 seconds left. This play was similar to the end of the Iowa State-Kansas game a week or so ago. You have to give a little leeway if the fouling player is flat on his back. Was he reaching for where thought the ball might be, or was he deliberately grabbing an ankle to impede progress? You could blow a whistle or call a foul on every play, which is pretty much what happened in the second Holmes-Scott game. On that night, I attended a refereeing seminar and a basketball game broke out.

Re: "Ok flagrant may be overkill." The correct call was made. There's the letter of the law (or rule in this case), and the spirit. No ref is going to give Cooper two foul shots, plus the ball, with less than a half a minute to go in a tie game, on a play 75 feet from the basket. For the ref to have done that, he would have had to be a mind-reader.

Mr. Sixer: Sorry if I offended. I certainly was wrong on one point. Upon watching the video replay, Morgan defended Bolden very well -- far stronger than I thought he did when I saw the game-winning trey in person from the upper deck. However, I stand by my comment that Holmes did not play well today. They didn't play well. They didn't rebound well; they didn't shoot well (29%); Bolden didn't shoot well; they struggled from the free-throw line (60%); and their transition game resulted in turnovers late in the game. Yes, the main reason for this is that Cooper is likely the best defensive team in the 9th Region. Re: "I believe there were not many outside of Union who thought this game would even be close." I certainly thought it would be decided by a bucket or two -- especially after the Jags went 12-1 after losing to Holmes and beat CovCath by 16.

Re: "Exactly my point, an intentional foul is an intentional foul - has nothing to do with the magnitude of the game." The only reason this call is in dispute is because the Cooper kid tried to lobby the ref that this was an intentional foul. It wasn't. Please -- save the intentional foul calls for when someone is tackled going in for a layup. Heck, a lot of the refs don't even call those anymore.

This game hinges on Englemon's ankle.

I was at the game. Got my money's worth, as I usually do in the 9th Region. The refs were fine. I had no problem with the vast majority of the calls. Yeah, there were some questionable whistles, mostly on charges, but there's no way that ankle grab is an intentional foul. Not in a game of this magnitude. Bottom line: Holmes played one of its worst game of the year, yet still won. Bulldogs were outshot and outrebounded. Bulldogs' passing in the transition game was lousy. Cooper for the most part outhustled the Bulldogs for loose balls. Reminded me of the first three quarters of the first NewCath game. Englemon played on fumes most of the game after injuring his ankle early. Bolden shot, what, 30 percent from the field at best? Yet Holmes still found a way to win. The main reason that Cooper lost (drum roll please) is that the Jags only scored 11 points from halftime till when Collins hit the trey with a minute to go. Eleven points in 15 minutes doesn't get the job done. I think young Sullivan is one of the best high school coaches in the state. Only thing I would have done differently, if I were in his shoes, is have my guards attack the rim in the second half like they did at the end of the first half. Even if you miss, your bigs have better than 50% chance to get an offensive rebound. Also thought the Cooper kid gave Bolden too easy of a (winning) shot at the end of the OT. If he's 4 feet beyond the arc, you don't have to stick a hand in his face?

This figures to be a low-scoring game. Something like 42-36, maybe even in the 30s for both teams. Fewer baskets made at NKU than in home gyms, so why would the teams score more than the first game (50-44, I believe). For whatever reason, Holmes playing better on the road than at home this year. Cooper's D is good enough that they won't do much different from what they did the first game, which I saw. Whether they'll be able to generate much offense is the larger question. In order to beat Holmes, keep 'em off the free-throw line in the second half. Easier said than done. Also, one additional point that I haven't seen yet on this thread or the NewCath vs. Holmes thread: Mike Listerman's presence on the Holmes bench is very significant.